A few thoughts: With much less of an emphasis on the monsters than on the human side of the equation, this is a surprisingly effective bottle drama of sorts that pits a group of friends and acquaintances against each other when confronted with a desert island scenario. I enjoy movies that demonstrate the crumbling of social structures, and while this isn't in the same league as something like 'The Exterminating Angel', the fact I can even bring it up in comparison with it is exceptional enough. Most of Honda's kaiju/monster movies use the human stories to essentially fill gaps, but this is one that works perfectly well on its own, but uses the monsters to aid the human story. I was very impressed, and the character interactions were dynamic and well-constructed. Watching people's survival instincts kick in in these different ways feels natural, and the acting is pretty solid as well. The mushroom people are just the icing on the cake. I never thought I'd be praising this movie so much, but it's really an intriguing watch.
Fans of surreal bottle dramas/studies of social norms, and weird Japanese monsters. Very specific, I know, but it's worth looking into.
My grade: B
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